Intermission
by CDCTheRandomWizard23
Summary: What happens when Sonny leaves for LA without telling Chad? A series of twists, mishaps, and drama comes about as this suspenseful tale unfolds.
1. Chapter 1

**Intermission**

Age 5

Chad Dylan Cooper sits on a massive, comfortable seat at the cinema, watching the same movie for the six hundredth time. He doesn't mind, though – he knows pretty much the entire movie by heart, and sits there reciting every single dialogue. But there's one thing different this time; he can hear another voice, other than him and the actual movie, saying the lines along. He glances down the row of seats, and sees a girl about the same age as him, and she's doing exactly what he's doing. She notices him looking at her, smiles, and waves. The beginning of a very long friendship.

* * *

Age 7

"Sonny, make sure you do your homework tomorrow!" The teacher yells at the cute little seven-year old girl in front of her. Sonny frowns and feels something shining on her. She looks up to see her best friend, Chad, holding a torch as a spotlight. She giggles, bouncing away.

* * *

Age 8

"Guess what, Chad?" Sonny says to her best friend, as they attempt to finish a school project.

"What?" Chad asks curiously.

"I'm gonna be an actress someday!" She replies, smiling. "Preferably in something comedy-ish!"

"Not before I'll be the greatest actor of our generation!" He says, and smirks. She punches him lightly, and keeps working on the project.

"And your daddy's cinema will be showing my movies!"

"Really, Sonny? Really?" Chad asks sarcastically.

"Yep!" Sonny giggles, splashing paint at him.

"You did not just splash paint in my hair," he says.

"I did!"

"Take this, then!" He empties the paint bottle over her head, making them both erupt into fits of laughter and paint-throwing.

"Chad! You ruined my new dress!" Sonny says sadly.

"Good," Chad smirks.

"Good."

"Fine."

"Fine."

* * *

Age 9

"There," Chad says, setting the ketchup bottle down on the table, grinning at the smiling sandwich. Yes, a sandwich with a smiling ketchup face!

"Ooh, is that for you?" Sonny asks, casually wandering to where Chad is standing.

"Nope. It's for you!" He grins, and she smiles.

"You didn't have to!"

"But, I did."

"Aw, thanks! You're so nice!"

"I try."

"I HATE YOU!" The two kids hear Mr. Munroe – Sonny's dad – yell from the other room. Sonny still isn't used to this, although it tends to happen almost every day. Chad knows everything about Sonny, and this is one of those things. Her parents, constantly fighting.

"Oh, shut up! Get out of my house!" Mrs. Munroe yells in response. Chad stays standing at the same place, as a very frightened Sonny runs up to her bedroom. Chad decides to follow her, so he heads upstairs to Sonny's room as well. Only to find that she's sitting under the table, crying. Wordlessly, he ducks and sits under the table next to her, taking her hand in his.

"It's okay," he says, as Sonny hugs him.

* * *

Age 15

"It's okay," Chad says, hugging Sonny. Only this time, they're sitting under a school desk.

"But…" Sonny starts.

"No buts." He takes the torn-in-half photo from her hand, and stands up. He tears it to shreds completely, making her smile.

* * *

Age 16

"I told you you'd love the trampoline!" Sonny giggles.

"I'm gonna break my face on this thing!" Chad yells, trying to keep jumping in control.

"Shut up, Pooper." Sonny uses the annoying nickname.

"I hate that, Sonshine." He glares at her, almost falling off the trampoline. She laughs.

"Good!"

"Good."

"Fine."

"Fine!"

* * *

Age 17

"Remind me again why we're sitting in the projector room of your dad's cinema?" Sonny asks, momentarily distracted from the movie.

"Because, Sonny, Dad thinks we're disruptive. And you wanted to watch this movie," Chad replies simply.

"You only fall in love once." The movie interrupts the conversation with the sudden dialogue.

"I wonder if that's true," Sonny sighs, smiling.

"It's all crap, if you ask me," Chad says.

"I didn't ask you," she says.

"Good."

"Good."

"Fine."

"Fine." They start laughing, and everyone in the cinema turns to look at the two teens in the projector room. They duck, trying not to get caught.

* * *

Chad's POV – Age 22

Today is my sister, Chelsea's wedding party. And, for once, I'm happy. Why, you ask? Because of Sonny. Because of a great plan I have, relating very much to Sonny – my best friend, my girlfriend, and, if all goes well, my wife. I mean, a few years ago, I'd have been like, no way! But now, I've decided. And what better time to propose?

There's a billion random people running around outside our massive mansion – yes, it's big enough for a party – and the weirdest thing is, they all are holding gifts. There's loud music, food, and all sorts of things going on. I don't really care, though. I'm standing alone in front of the mirror in my room, waiting for Sonny. She shouldn't be too late – after all, she only lives next door. And therefore, I get the chance to practice what to say before she gets here, because I know I'll screw this up otherwise. Heck, I'll screw this up anyway, even though I'm so awesome.

"Sonny, I know you don't like overly sentimental things. Well, too bad. Here goes," I sigh. I'm now down on one knee, and wondering. How do people do this? It hurts! This is failing, totally and epically.

"Sonny, I love you. So? Does that automatically mean we should get married? Why are love and marriage the same thing? I mean, here's a perfectly nice thing: love. Now let's destroy it, piece by piece. Because if we don't get married, *fake gasp*, what will people say? Sonshine, do you think I'm marrying you because of what people will say? I want to marry you, for us. Pfft. I know why you're hyping about getting married. You're caught up in all the celebrations, and it's going to your head, Chaddy. You can't convince me. Okay…how about this? I love how I wake up every day to the sound of your voice. Aww. I love the way that you manage to do so many things at once – four jobs, Sonny! Four! Aww! And I love the way you just enjoy every single moment of life. AWW! Shut up, you idiot. Let's run away together! And then we kiss. Which would be weird, because I'd just be kissing myself. I'm good."

Yes, I've been saying all of this stuff to my reflection. But it's freaking perfect. Beating all the clichés, passing all the movie-esques, and arriving at the correct one. But is it going to work?

I sigh, collapsing on the bed.

* * *

Sonny's POV

I'm standing in the balcony of Chelsea's room (we've become pretty good friends in all the years I've known Chad), enjoying the fresh air while she argues with herself on what earrings to wear. I didn't bother to go overboard with the dressing up – it's not something I care much about. But I guess it runs in the Cooper family, for them to care about their looks!

Anyway, I'm standing here, mumbling lines to myself while chewing on a pencil. I'm trying to secretly rehearse for a play. Secretly because Mom won't let me otherwise, and the pencil because my character is someone that's always chewing on a pencil. I don't understand why, but that's what I'm attempting to do right now.

"Hey there," the sudden voice startles me.

"Chad! You scared me!" I punch him lightly on the chest.

"Funny, funny, little Sonny. Very funny," Chad says, grinning. "What's with the pencil?"

"Rehearsing," I reply simply.

"Wait, you've always been chewing on pencils. Remember what you did to every single pencil I ever owned in middle school?" he asks.

"Yep," I reply and throw the pencil over the side of the balcony.

"That was just weird," he says.

"I know. It was meant to be weird!" I laugh.

"Hey, wait! Rehearsals? What for?" Chad asks me curiously. Him and his curiosity!

"A comedy play. On stage. Live!" I say, spreading my arms out and hitting him on the nose. He forces my arms back to a normal state and laughs.

"I'm guessing Connie doesn't know," he says. Yep. Mom has no idea.

"What's the point in telling her? As soon as she hears the word 'acting', she'll freak out," I say. "It's just one show, at the community theatre and that's it. No-one will ever know!"

"_You_ know, don't you? Tell her, finish off this crazy fight. Stop compromising! Besides, you act enough in real life," Chad says, grinning.

"Says the actor himself. Born into the family owning the cinema, and you'll die slowly of boredom there," I say simply.

"Thanks for your intelligence and sensitivity," He says sarcastically.

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, Chris's cinema business will run fine without you, Mr. Actor," I say.

"This is the 112th time."

"112th what?"

"The 112th time I pointed out one of your problems, you turned it round and round into my problem, and put a spotlight with a thousand watt bulb on it!" Chad replies and sighs.

"But, you started–" I start, and he cuts me off.

"I think we've established that without pointing out my problems, you can't focus on your own problems. So, let's focus on me. Let's say, I went and told Dad that I have no interest in running a cinema, and would rather be on the screen myself. Let's say, that on hearing this, he doesn't have multiple heart attacks out of shock. Then what am I gonna do?" Chad says.

Man, he's got a way of dealing with everything. Sometimes I think he's a secret psychologist or something.

"That's the best part! Then, we'll travel the world!" I say, putting my arms around his neck without warning.

"Sonny, you are mad," He sighs, slipping his arms around my waist.

"I know," I reply, and we laugh.

"So you're just going to spend your entire lives on your honeymoon, huh?" Aunt Sophie's voice comes suddenly from the door. Chad and I awkwardly step away from each other, and Aunt Sophie laughs. "When are you two lovebirds getting married?"

At the same time as I say, "We haven't thought about it," Chad says, "We're thinking about it." Weird! We exchange annoyed looks, as Aunt Sophie laughs again.

"Tell him that you better get married soon," Sophie starts.

"Don't be–" I whisper to Chad.

"If you're so obsessed with marriage, why don't you do it?" He says.

"…rude." I finish.

"Darlings, I've already been divorced three times," Aunt Sophie says, looking proud. "My fate was just wrong – what can I do?" Is that really something to be so proud about?

"Fate isn't wrong, people are," I say.

"Hey, look. There's Connie!" She points over the side of the balcony. Oh, great. Mom is here.

"Haha, she's looking here," Chad laughs.

I duck down so Mom doesn't see me. That would probably not be so bad, but I'm just not in the mood for one of her lectures again. Chad ducks too.

"Why are you ducking?" I whisper.

"Because, wherever I am, you are," he replies, grinning.

"Good point."

"When do I not make a good point?"

"That too, is a good point."

* * *

The following day, I'm at yet another party for Chelsea's wedding. It's over-hyped and insane, I tell you!

"Sonny!" Angie, Chad's mom, calls. I start to run across the hallway, outside, when suddenly, someone grabs me from behind and puts a hand over my mouth.

"Don't scream," he says. I giggle, and he moves his hand.

"Chad, you're crazy!" I say.

"I know. Just don't scream. You're being kidnapped," Chad says, sounding like an actual kidnapper.

"Chad-iot," I say, and stomp on his foot.

"Ow! That hurts, Sonny," he says.

"That's what I was trying for, Chaddy!" I say, and he glares at me. I smile and run off to see what Angie wants my help with.

We're standing outside the church, watching groups and groups of people walk in. It's got to be huge.

"Couldn't they just get married in court instead? What was the need for so many people?" I ask Chad.

"Ugh, I know. I mean, isn't a wedding supposed to have people that are actually important to the person that's getting married?" he says.

"Huh, I don't see anyone all that important here," I say, looking around. Even though Mom and I are close to the Coopers, I hardly recognize anybody here.

"Yep. I know I should be here because Chelsea's my sister, but I'm only here for the free food," Chad says, chuckling.

We've seen enough of these kinds of parties in our lifetime. The Coopers tend to have a lot of them – Chad and I get through them by standing in corners, talking and laughing about total randomness, and pigging out on the refreshments.

Right after Chelsea's wedding thing is over, I run home. I'm leaving tonight, to go to LA – I've been called to become a cast member on my favourite show, So Random. Chad hates that show, but I've always liked it. And when Chad himself forced me to put a crazy video on the internet, he can't really say much… I'm leaving.

I don't want to tell the Coopers – if I tell anyone in his family, Chad will know about it, and that's the last thing I want. We promised each other that we'd never be apart, and I hate to be the one breaking that promise, but what choice do I have? It's either keeping my promise, or making my biggest dream come true. Chad will forgive me, but So Random won't come back asking me to be on their show.

I quickly change out of my party dress, and put on sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt. Hey, this shirt is Chad's… No, Sonny. This is not the time to get sappy. I'll text Chad and tell him when I get there. It'll be too late for him to stop me then.

* * *

**AN: Thanks for reading! :) This chapter is credited to a friend of mine.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hi! Cynthia here with the next chapter which I've written. From now on, I'm writing the chapters so I hope you enjoy them. :)**

**Shoutouts to the reviewers from last chapter: swac twilight14 and Man-Suz-She :D  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the ideas from SWAC or the other shows on Disney. :)  
**

* * *

Sonny's POV:

Mom was already at the new apartment over there at LA. I had packed my suitcases yesterday, and I'm ready to take off and leave. I'm only bringing a few necessities with me, so the house doesn't look empty at all with all the furniture still in place. I just need to get out of here as soon as possible before I miss my flight which is in a few hours. Making sure I didn't leave anything that I needed to take with me, I sprint around the living room for a couple of minutes.

Every time I go on trips, I always forget to bring something important… One time it was my toothbrush, the other time it was my makeup, then it was my wallet, and then and it was my entire suitcase. So obviously, I can be pretty absent-minded. When I finally decide I had all that I need, I make my way over to the door where my suitcases are and look around the room.

"I'm gonna miss this place," I sigh.

I ruffle my hair sadly, and turn the door knob with my other hand.

"This is it," I say to myself as I sharply breathe in.

I open the door wide only to get hit with a truckload of surprise as Chad shows up in front of me right outside the front door.

"Oh, hey there, Sonshine!" Chad greets me with a grin.

I choke for a few seconds having a small coughing fit before I finally manage to speak.

"Chad, what are you doing here?" I ask, recovering from the bit of shock I just had.

"When Chelsea's wedding party ended, I decided to just come over here. I didn't feel like helping to clean up after the party, so I'd rather just hang out with you for a little time. Cleaning up has never really been my thing, you know?" Chad says as he yawns rather loudly and stretches his arms. "Plus, I'm totally exhausted after the long day."

"Okay…" I decide in my mind if I should let Chad in or not for a little bit, but in the end, he just lets himself in. I close the door as Chad walks into the living room and throws himself onto the couch.

I sigh following Chad to the living room and sit on another chair next to the couch. Chad sprawls out on his back, looking dazed.

"This couch is so comfy," he says, turning his head towards me.

Sitting with my legs crossed and my arms folded, I take a glance at the door where my luggage waits for me. Then I look at Chad and nod.

"I had a great time today Chad, too bad the party's over. I'm gonna miss it," I say.

"Well, I just feel like going on a vacation and relaxing. I'm all worn out," Chad says.

"Hey, here's a random thought," I start hesitantly. "Say there's this person… and she's running away from home without telling anyone, not even her boyfriend…What do you think the boyfriend would do?"

"He should totally just break up with her! I mean, obviously their relationship isn't even real, right?" Chad says right away.

"Well, I..I guess…" I mumble.

"Yeah, so clearly they aren't meant to be together," Chad says.

"But what if everyone knows that they _are_?" I ask.

"Then she's making a huge mistake," replies Chad.

_Then she's making a huge mistake…_ _A huge mistake…_Chad's words echo in my mind over and over again. I stare at the floor trying to think for a minute.

"Wait, Sonny, are you trying to tell me something?" Chad inquires.

I started laughing nervously. "Whaaat? No! No, no I wasn't. That just oddly came into my mind for some reason. You know how I can get really random when I'm tired. Is it hot in here?," I say rapidly, my voice coming out higher than usual.

"Oh, yeah, I'm like that too. And actually it is pretty warm in here," replies Chad.

"Okay, let me just open the door. Maybe we can get some air flowing through here," I say, getting up towards the door.

"I think I'm gonna take a nap," Chad says.

"Alright, go ahead. Make yourself comfortable," I say to him.

"Okay, are you sure you're gonna be fine?" Chad asks.

I sigh. "Yeah, I'll be absolutely fine…" I say half-heartedly, looking down.

"And don't worry; I won't stay here for the whole night. It's just a nap, that is, if I can make myself wake up in a few hours," Chad says.

"Right then, goodnight Chad," I say, walking over to the kitchen. _More like goodbye, _I thought.

In a short amount of time, Chad was already snoring louder than a buffalo. I pace around in the kitchen wondering. _Then she's making a huge mistake…_ It ran through my mind about a million times. I need to leave right away if I'm still going through with this. It's my only chance, and once it's over, I can't go back. I could just slip away and not tell Chad.

These decisions are really tearing my mind apart.

I walk back out to the living room, glancing at Chad. There and then I make up my mind. I _need_ to go since now's my only chance. Opportunities like this only come up once in a lifetime, and I'm taking it. I tiptoe past the couch and take the suitcases in my hands. I can't believe I'm just walking out on Chad right now. This is crazy. Well, here goes…

I take one last glance over my shoulder at Chad on the couch and step out of the door.

"I'm sorry," I whisper towards Chad as I leave the house feeling a couple of tears running down my cheeks.

I head to my car and put the suitcases in the back. As I get into the driver's seat, I look back at the house. I had left the door open, but it was too late to go back and shut it now. It could wake Chad up and ruin the whole escape. I start the car and cruise down the road. I hope I'm making the right decision.

"Goodbye Chad, Hello Los Angeles…"

* * *

**AN: How do you like it so far? It's probably gonna turn into some crazy drama story like my other ones. :) Please put it on Story Alert and review because every review encourages me to write more and update soon. I even like the little reviews that tell me to update soon too. :) See ya!**

**- Cynthia  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hi, this is a quick update since it's been so long, so I hope you like this chapter. Please review after you read…**

* * *

_Previously on Intermission…_

_I start the car and cruise down the road. I hope I'm making the right decision._

_"Goodbye Chad, Hello Los Angeles…"_

* * *

Chelsea's POV:

After the wedding party, I notice Sonny quietly slip out the doors straight away. _Hmm, I wonder where she's off to._ I find Chad among the dispersing crowd of guests and tap his shoulder.

"Hey there, sister of mine," he says in a whimsical tone of voice. "Oh yeah, have you seen Sonny around the house? I can't find her."

"Actually, yes I have. She just left a few minutes ago and looked kind of in a rush. Is she okay?" I ask Chad.

"Huh? Yeah, she's fine. We were just hanging out a while ago. She's probably just tired and wants to go home to rest," Chad replies.

"Alright then," I say.

"I'm gonna go up to my room and change out of this uncomfortable suit I'm itching to get out of," Chad tells me. "And I mean literally."

I watch him head towards the swirling staircase that leads to his bedroom as he scratches the back of his neck. Some guests approach me to say some last goodbyes for the night and talk about how great the whole party was. I smile and reply kindly to them until the celebration is over when the crowd completely fades.

* * *

Chad's POV:

"MOOOOOO…"

I drift out of sleep as a strange sound makes its way to my half-working eardrums. The startling noise snaps open my droopy eyelids as I jolt awake at lightning-speed.

"What's that?" I ask myself groggily, sitting on the edge of the couch.

I turn my head to look around the living room, but it was so dark. The only light I notice was coming from…the open front door?

"Wait a second, where am I?" I said as I drowsily rubbed my eyes.

As I get up from the couch, the memories from last night flood back into my brain. Right…I'm at Sonny's house. And it's…3 a.m.? _Man, I should have set myself an alarm._

"MOOOOOOOO…"

The sharp noise shatters the silence again, and I gasp. Sonny's ringtone! When I finally realize what it is, I begin to run around all the furniture in the house trying to find her phone. I end up tripping over a table next to the couch and crashing into a picture frame with a photo of Sonny and myself. The glass smashes into jagged little fragments all over the living room floor. _I really should have turned on some lights. Hope Sonny doesn't mind, ha._

The annoying cow sounds continue for about half a minute until I locate the source at last…Sonny's glittery, black and white studded cell phone. Even in the dark, it isn't hard to spot. Sonny sure does like her glitter. And apparently cows? Weird ringtone choice, but that's Sonny for ya.

By the time I grab the phone, it stops ringing. The screen shows a phone number that I don't know, and it doesn't have a name attached to it. I decide to find Sonny and tell her that she missed a call and that I'm leaving to go back to my own house now. I flip the light switches on, which paint a dim and almost eerie glow into the living room. In my half-awake state, I stumble over to the staircase with my mind feeling a little hazy. Yawning, I grip onto the rail to steady myself as the old wooden steps creak with every footfall. I turn on the lights at the top of the stairs and shuffle over to Sonny's bedroom door which was partially closed with light peeking from the inside. I halt in front of the door with Sonny's phone in my hand and raise my other arm to knock. Unfortunately, what I thought had been a gentle knock made the door fly wide open. _Oops. _Surprisingly, Sonny isn't there and the entire room is looking _pretty_ messy with clothes scattered everywhere as if her closet just threw up a massive avalanche.

"Sonshine? Are you there?" I ask, still standing outside of the room.

I wait for a few seconds but don't get an answer. _Maybe she's somewhere else in the house._ So, I dash down to the kitchen to see if she was there. It turns out that she wasn't there, so I run back up the stairs and search the second floor of the house. When I find that Sonny was nowhere to be found in her house, I start to panic and head back to her bedroom. Inside, I begin to pace back and forth…which is a bit difficult in her disheveled room. I manage to trip on a pile of clothing and do a magnificent face-plant on the hard floor. Thankfully, more clothing on the carpet breaks my fall. Phew…I couldn't _bear_ it if anything happens to my gorgeous face.

As I'm frozen on the floor for a minute recovering from the minor wooziness, I notice a curious piece of yellow lined paper folded in half lying beside my head on the carpet. It appears to be torn out of a notepad and streaked with…Are those tear stains? Judging by the splotches of water dotting it, I'm guessing it was. I get up from the floor, holding onto the note. When I unfold it, I see three gigantic words cover the page in thick, black marker. Examining the handwriting, I recognize it as Sonny's immediately. My eyes trace the bleary strokes of ink on the page as my heart pounds deep in my chest… "I HATE YOU."

* * *

Chelsea's POV:

It's about three in the morning and I yawn as I pick up my cell phone from the dresser beside my bed. Chad's calling me? And right now, of all times to call someone? I sigh and decide to answer it.

"Chad, did you even check a clock? It's around 3 a.m. and you can't just go around calling people who are trying to get some beauty sleep!"

I realize that I sound a bit delirious, but it doesn't matter to me.

"Oh, like you really _need _beauty sleep! You spend so much time coating your lovely little face in loads of make-up everyday!" Chad replies.

"Ugh… Really, Chad? You call me in the middle of the night just to _insult_ me? I thought you'd stop doing that when you finally got out of high school years ago."

"Look, I didn't call you to insult you. This is important."

"Then, what is this 'important thing' you need to tell me?"

"Okay, I'm at Sonny's house right now. I fell asleep on the living room couch and when I woke up, she was gone. She's nowhere here! Her room is all messed up like crazy. The front door was left open the whole time I was here. I even checked the front yard and her car's missing. What do you think happened?"

My mind races and I think of an instant solution.

"Dude, that means the house got robbed! Whoever it was…they probably stole Sonny's car!" I gasped. "They probably stole Sonny too!"

I think I hear Chad's voice quivering on the other end of the line.

"Y-you r-really think so?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah, that's kinda the only option. It's either that, or she ran away from home," I suppose.

There was a pause where Chad doesn't respond for a while.

"Chad, are you okay? You still there, little bro?" I ask.

"Yeah…I was just thinking it over. So what do we do?" he inquires.

"Call the police."

"Okay, I'm on it," he says as he ends our phone call.

* * *

**AN: Gasp! So what's Chad gonna do? What's up with that note? What's really going on with Sonny? Please review with your thoughts, predictions, and ideas. Also, please put this on Story Alert. The next chapter's gonna be great, so watch out for it. :)**

**- Cynthia**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hey guys! :) I apologize for not updating this story for so long. You've all probably forgotten about what happened so far in the story, so here's a refresher with some of the main parts from the story… **

_Previously on Intermission…_

"_And, for once, I'm happy. Why, you ask? Because of Sonny. Because of a great plan I have, relating very much to Sonny – my best friend, my girlfriend, and, if all goes well, my wife. I mean, a few years ago, I'd have been like, no way! But now, I've decided. And what better time to propose?"_

"_We promised each other that we'd never be apart, and I hate to be the one breaking that promise, but what choice do I have? It's either keeping my promise, or making my biggest dream come true. Chad will forgive me, but So Random won't come back asking me to be on their show."_

"_I tiptoe past the couch and take the suitcases in my hands. I can't believe I'm just walking out on Chad right now. This is crazy. Well, here goes…"_

"_I start the car and cruise down the road. I hope I'm making the right decision."_

"_Goodbye Chad, Hello Los Angeles…"_

"_When I unfold it, I see three gigantic words cover the page in thick, black marker. Examining the handwriting, I recognize it as Sonny's immediately. My eyes trace the bleary strokes of ink on the page as my heart pounds deep in my chest… 'I HATE YOU.'"_

"_Okay, I'm at Sonny's house right now. I fell asleep on the living room couch and when I woke up, she was gone. She's nowhere here! Her room is all messed up like crazy. The front door was left open the whole time I was here. I even checked the front yard and her car's missing."_

"…_Call the police."_

**Alright, so that basically summed up the whole story so far. Here's the next chapter. Please review after you read! :)**

* * *

**Sonny's POV:**

I'm sitting in an airplane headed to LA thinking about Chad the whole time._ Is he awake? Did he find out? I wonder if he's actually going to forgive me…I think I may have rushed this plan without thinking it through. Of course Chad will forgive me, right? _

I think about all the memories I'd had with Chad. There were all the times we watched movies in his dad's movie theater, reciting every line of our favorite parts perfectly. In fact, that was where we'd first met. I could still remember when we played dress-up at my house as little kids for our favorite movies. Chad thought it was silly, but he agreed to play with me when I pouted. Then we used to fight over whose acting was better. Chad usually let me win. All those years of growing up together from elementary to high school start to come back to me too. We always sat beside each other in our goofy-looking school uniforms that I dreaded because of the plaid. Chad had actually loved wearing those uniforms since he said that they made him look smart, and I'd just tell him that wearing a blazer made him look too grown-up. There were also all the moments when Chad was around to comfort me during the times that my parents were fighting and when my first boyfriend cheated on me at school.

Chad's a really caring guy and I'm risking our friendship by leaving him without telling? I decide that I'm acting like a complete idiot, and I look through my purse to find my cell phone to give him a call. Panic sets in when I seem to not have it with me. I check all my pockets and search my entire purse. Nothing. I think back to when I was at my house before I left. _Oh no, I must've forgotten it there and now I'm an even bigger idiot…Way to go, Sonny._

The flight is only about three hours long and I'm happy that I've made it to California, but at the same time, I'm sad that there's no turning back now that I've made it so far. I get off of the plane and gather my luggage in the busy airport. It was my first time flying by myself since I usually had my mom with me, so I feel a bit confused being alone. I feel like a lost little ant standing in the middle of a huge, bustling ant colony. There are groups of people moving in different directions, and a bunch of foreigners rush past me. I don't know anyone here and I feel even worse as I remember that I have no cell phone with me. I sigh.

How could I be so forgetful? Now I've even lost all my contacts in my phone which is sitting in my house back over at Wisconsin. _No, cheer up, Sonny. You're about to fulfill your life-long dream of being a star on So Random. Well, maybe not a star, but just a least a cast member. Being a star's gonna take a lot of work to get there. Okay, why am I talking to myself again? Ugh, I'm gonna need to make some real friends around here so that I don't get bored talking to myself._

"Hey there," a voice interrupts my thoughts. "Are you…Allison Munroe?" a guy asks me. He's wearing some skinny jeans and a simple t-shirt with a small nametag that has the _So Random_ logo on it. And to top it all off, a trilby sits on his head. I quickly recognize him from my favorite show.

"Yeah, that's me, but you can call me Sonny," I answer with a friendly smile.

"Oh, that's cool," he says with a nod, and he grins as I smile. "The name's Nico, and I'm one of the stars of So Random, very pleased to meet ya," he replies as we shake hands. "I'm so excited to have a new addition to our crew, and I've gotta say, you look much prettier in person," he says grinning. I don't know how to react and find myself blushing.

"Thanks," I mumble. I try to think up a compliment to say back, but I'm too slow.

"A'ight, now let's drive on over to Condor Studios so you can meet the others!" He grabs my luggage and leads me past the moving crowd over to where his car is parked outside in the lot. When we get to his car, my mouth drops open in awe. Before me is this bright blue Ferrari and I get to ride in it! _Oh wait, it's the same color as Chad's eyes…No, stop, it's not the time to think about Chad. You're not even at the studios yet!_

"It's pretty sweet, huh?" Nico says, opening the door for me to get in even though I'm still frozen in one spot, staring at the sports car.

"Yeahhh, I've always wanted a sports car like this ever since I could remember," I say, still in shock as we both get in.

"After a long while of you working at the studios, you'll probably get to have a car like this too," Nico mentions. "I've been on the show for years. Hey, if you ever need any help around the studios, I'm here for you. I'm the one who knows most about everything that goes around there."

"Kay, thanks," I say as we drive out into the blinding California sunshine. "Ooh, I should have brought sunglasses with me. I forgot."

Nico opens the glove compartment and pulls out a pair of shades as he puts on his own. "Here, I've got you," he says handing them to me.

"Aww, you don't have to be extra nice to me," I say.

"Anything for you, Sonny. It's just part of my personality," Nico shrugs. "There's one thing you've gotta watch out for at the studios though, and that's Miss Tawni Hart. She doesn't like competition too much, so it's better to stay away from her until she gets used to it."

"Okay?" I say hesitantly. I really didn't think about all the different kinds of obstacles that come with my dream of working at the show. It's a great thing that Nico's around to be my guide at my new workplace. He seems like a kind enough person.

After a few minutes of driving, we arrive at Condor Studios and Nico helps me with my luggage.

"Welcome to Hollywood, Sonny!"

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**AN: Eh, so it was a bit short, but there you have it. What did you all think? If you wanna see some more, please REVIEW! :) Peace Out Suckahs!**

**- Cynthia**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Hey there, sorry I sort of disappeared from writing this story. If there are actually still readers for this, please review after you read! :)**

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Chad's POV:

The dim glow from the weak lamp beside me illuminates the small portion of Sonny's living room where I sulk against the sinking cushions of the couch, clutching my own cell phone shakily after I end the call with Chelsea. The chilling gusts of wind rushing through the still-open front door cause me to shiver as if I'm trapped in an ice-cold refrigerator. I don't get up to close it though. I feel the pressure of dozens of thoughts crowding inside of my brain, and it hurt to try to make sense of any of them at all. There's no doubt that the majority of these thoughts are about Sonny. My nerves suspect that something wrong is taking place that I hadn't been aware of before, but the only thing my body is able to do at this moment is to stare at the dismal clock on the wall straight ahead of me as it ticks steadily on and on without any intention of stopping.

Calling my sister only worsens my confused condition as I anxiously battle in my mind about whether I should call the police or simply wait for a moment. As I slip my cell phone back into one of the pockets of my jeans, I assure myself that Sonny's only gone for a few minutes and that she's about to come back. It's just wrong to assume that she was kidnapped, or that her car was stolen, or that she simply decided to run away. But then again, why would she leave her house at three o' clock in the morning? Where would she even go? That also leads me to question about myself. Where should I be? I want to go back to my house but I can't just leave while something mysterious is going on. What would Sonny think if I just decide to leave her house when she might be in some sort of trouble? I'm pretty sure that doing so would automatically make me a terrible boyfriend which is something that I refuse to be. These feelings are probably just my nervousness of losing my girlfriend whom I still haven't proposed to yet.

Sonny's living room stays as still as ever, that is, until a few sharp beeps vibrate from Sonny's cell phone sitting on the couch beside me where I've left it. The small sounds startle me briefly as they break my train of thought. I take a sideward glance at its screen and notice a message which indicates that new texts were on Sonny's phone. Now for the next minute, I hold her phone in my hands, tossing it back and forth undecidedly while I face the decision to look at her texts or not. I'm sure she wouldn't mind. But exactly how sure am I? Reading other people's messages is an invasion of privacy, although she's not here right now and wouldn't know about it if I decide to do it. Hmm, I guess this is what Sonny's been talking about when she tells me that I'm horrible at committing. I guess I just always had to take a super long time at arriving at a decision for anything. Well, if I'm going to try to be a better boyfriend, I'd better change that part of myself. I only think for several seconds more, and in the blink of an eye, my fingers tap the screen to view who'd been texting her a bunch of times this night. Next came the moment of truth, and it was in the form of a long trail of messages which were all from the same person.

_14 new messages from Skyler D._

_So I've heard that you're coming over here to LA. It's great that you're coming over to the city I'd moved to._

_Remember me? Well, yeah, of course you remember me._

_We really need to catch up._

_I've been waiting to see you again for so long! _

_Tell me how Wisconsin's been without me for the past few years._

_Hey Sonny, you'll meet me in LA, right? _

_We need to get back together._

_I miss you._

_Did you miss me?_

_So we're finally gonna get to see each other again._

_Text me so I'll know where you'll be here._

_And tell Chaddy boy that I say hi to him too. _

_Wait, he'd better not come with you to LA. Well, is he going with you?_

_Why aren't you answering me anymore…? I even called you earlier too._

I scroll down Sonny's messages carefully, thinking as I go. What? Who's Skyler? The name sounds utterly familiar, but in my tired haze, I can't quite remember much. I think it has something to do with the time when I was in high school. And even more shockingly…What's this I see about Sonny going to LA? I don't know whether to feel furious at her for not telling me or to feel confused. Is this just some sick-minded joke? Sonny wouldn't simply fly half-way across the country without mentioning it to me even once. My tense shoulders droop down as a frown lingers on my face. I feel betrayed, just completely betrayed. I flip through Sonny's messages again and stumble upon a text that she'd sent earlier.

_1 message from Sonny M._

_SKYLER, STOP BOTHERING ME. I HATE YOU. Don't you get it? I don't want to talk to you right now, and even if I did want to, I can't cuz I'm about to be late for my flight._

Well, that settles it. Sonny really is flying to California.

Without me.

And for who knows how long? She might even be moving there permanently for all I knew! I resist the urge to throw Sonny's cell phone onto the hard wood floor in all my anger because I know that smashing my girlfriend's phone into a billion little pieces isn't gonna solve anything. It's only gonna lead to a mess that I'll have to clean up afterward which I wouldn't be looking forward to doing.

That's when it all comes back to my mind. Skyler…He was Sonny's ex-boyfriend whom she broke up with during the first year of high school! I let Sonny's phone slip out of my fingers and it clatters to the wood floor beside the couch. I don't have the energy to pick it up again. Skyler wants to get back together with Sonny?! My girlfriend?! No way am I letting this happen. I slouch on the cushions, feeling a sinking weight of pressure being added to my shoulders. How could I have trusted Sonny so well? It turns out that she wants to get away from me. And on top of that, she's been talking to her ex-boyfriend without me knowing? What happened to the Sonny that I knew so well? My body feels drained of its energy as I lay numb on the couch, my lethargic limbs spread out on the cushions. I attempt to read the time on the wall clock across the room, but my unsteady eyelids weakly battle to stay open. In all my exhaustion, I collapse into a deep sleep for the rest of the dark night.

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Sonny's POV:

I slowly trail behind Nico who is carrying my luggage as he leads me up to the entrance to the studio building from the parking lot. He uses his free arm to open the door for me as he gives another friendly grin in my direction.

"Ladies first," he nods as I mumble a quick thank-you. The breeze of the air-conditioned building pours over me as I walk in, sending a cool and refreshing wave. It's a definite contrast to the shower of blazing sunlight I've been sitting in during the ride from the airport. From the herds of stage-hands scrambling around on the studio's vast floor up to the beaming rows of stage lights high overhead, I could feel a new sense of excitement, of opportunity. The place is a bustling beehive, and I'm about to get on board. This is my new home.

"Ah, there she is! There's our new star!"

An approaching voice rescues me from my present state of daydreaming as I blink my eyes, still sleepy from jet-lag.

"Hello, you must be Ms. Allison Munroe," a man dressed in a gray suit greets me warmly with a small grin. "I'm Marshall Pike, the executive producer of So Random."

"Nice to meet ya," I return the smile with one of my own while I extend my hand to shake his. "And you can call me Sonny, for short."

"Oh, that's great. A nickname," he pondered. "Sonny Munroe. It has a nice ring to it."

"Thanks," I answer.

"I'm delighted to add you to our wonderful cast. I see you've already met Nico," he motions over to Nico who is standing beside me with my luggage bags on the floor by his sneakers. "Thanks for picking Sonny up from the airport, Nico," he mentions.

Nico raises his hand up to his forehead and jokingly does a quick salute. "Pleasure's all mine, Captain," he replies cheerfully.

"Why don't you bring Sonny over to the Prop House?" Marshall suggests kindly. "I think that's where the rest of the cast is right now. I'm sure they'd be glad to meet Sonny. Right now, I've gotta get back to my office."

"Sure thing," Nico says as we exchange some brief goodbyes and Marshall walks away. Nico picks up my luggage and gestures to me to follow him. "Let's go over to the Prop House. I haven't seen the other cast members all day and I'm wondering what they've been up to."

It takes a few minutes for us to walk through the halls that snake around the busy studios like one of those cornfield mazes that I got lost in once when I was a little kid. We eventually arrive at the open entrance to a very large room. I could see that the lights in the room are turned off, and I'm reminded of my fear of the dark. When we were little kids, Chad always used to tell me that the dark was nothing to be afraid of and that it was only my imagination that made it scary. We were both five back then, and it really helped with the fact that we often would sit by ourselves in his dad's movie theater for hours and hours every week. I miss those times that I'd spend a lot of time with Chad during our childhood, but now I'm venturing out to pursue the career of my dreams. I shouldn't have to worry about Chad; I'm trying to be more independent.

I walk beside Nico as he tries to find the light switch on the wall. After several seconds, the lights flash brightly, illuminating the entire Prop House. What happens next terrifies me beyond anything I could ever imagine.

"There she is! Get her!"

I hear a girl yell in my half-asleep state of consciousness and attempt to find the source of the voice in the furniture-packed room in front of me. Unfortunately, I couldn't do it fast enough and my face was hit hard with something wet and creamy. It tasted like banana cream pie on my lips. Before I could have any reaction at all, several more of those come flying towards me, one after another.

"You guys, stop!" Nico's voice booms from beside me, although I couldn't see because my entire body was now covered in icing. I hear the sounds of laughter from around the room.

"Oh, come on, Nico! It was Tawni's idea!"

"Ew, ew, ew…" I brush off some icing from my eyes, finally being able to see what's going on.

"What? Me? You know that Zora was the one who came up with it!"

"Yeah, well, you agreed to it! All I wanted to do was just eat some pie, but nooo, you guys had to waste them all!"

"Haha, well, it was really fun. Oh, and we've saved some for you too, Nico!"

In a split-second, I watch as a cream pie soars through the air and hits Nico on the face.

"What? Aw, Zoraaa! Ugh, this is nasty!" he says, wiping the cream off of his hat and clothes. Another explosion of laughter erupts from the room. "_Uh, real mature, you guys_," he says sarcastically. Then he turns to me. "Sonny, meet your new cast mates."

"_Oh wow…_" my voice drags with uncertainty as I show a small grin. I copy Nico's use of sarcasm. "_I like it here already..._"

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**AN: Thanks for reading! Please tell me your thoughts, predictions, and ideas in a review! That would be much appreciated and would help me write faster! :)**

**- Cynthia**


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